A Long Meeting
by Cpt. Ritter
Summary: John Sheppard never thought a meeting could go so long, or result in this...


_A/N: This is appeasement to keep everyone happy until Never Alone Again Chapter 6 is Beta'd_

John looked down at his watch in dismay. He tried not to roll his eyes as Elizabeth kept making her speech to the new people on Atlantis. He was sitting, or more likely sleeping, in front of the next group of new scientists and military personnel from Earth. He'd made his short and sweet, then waited while Elizabeth had talked on for almost an hour.

He was close to just leaving, very close, considering he should have been out of the meeting a half hour ago to go meet Teyla. He'd been disappointed she hadn't tried his radio just yet, he'd left it on hoping that she would call and he'd have an excuse to leave, right now he was still sitting without one.

He glanced at Elizabeth, trying to give her a silent signal that now was the time to stop talking, several of the scientists were half asleep, and he could tell the marines were asleep, just with their eyes open and their backs straight. He wouldn't blame any of them.

Finally, without any recourse, John cleared his throat. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry but we're going to have to cut this meeting short, I have to go."

"Where to?" She asked, still coming out of her speech.

"I have work to do." John replied innocently.

Elizabeth gave him a small smile. "That's quite alright Colonel, I'll finish up here. You can go about your business." She said the last word with a bit of sarcasm, just enough so he knew, that she knew, he was up to no good.

He shrugged and strolled out, thankful to be free of the meeting. He glanced at his watch again, maybe he could still catch Teyla at the gym, though he'd not be in his exercise clothes. He didn't have time though, he rushed down to the nearest transporter and to the gym.

When he got there, still a bit winded from the jog, he was disappointed to see Teyla was not there. It was empty, not even Ronon was present, and the gym was practically his quarters. He frowned, maybe the mess hall then.

A few minutes later he was shaking his head in frustration. He'd even tried the radio, no response. Teyla was no where to be seen. The people he'd seen in the halls hadn't seen her either. A few had pointed him to the gym, but that wasn't helpful.

"Damn it Teyla, where are you?" John said out loud in the hallway leading to both of their quarters.

He stopped, he knew one last place Teyla might be. It was a slim chance, but considering she wasn't anywhere else and hadn't been spotted by anyone it was probably where she was. He jogged to the transporter and took it up to the balcony down near the bottom of the city.

It was a quite place, in a section that wasn't really occupied, though quarters would eventually be assigned here. They still had plenty of room in the tower though, and it did still smell faintly like fish.

Not out on the balcony though. He opened the door mentally, not having to think about it, and couldn't help but smile as he saw Teyla leaning against the railing, looking out into the ocean which was only two feet below it.

John walked next to her. "Sorry I was late, Elizabeth talked for too long, and then I couldn't find you."

Teyla turned towards him, a smile on her face. "I am sorry John, I felt that you would find me here when you were done, and that I could also think here."

"What about?"

"I was thinking of my people. They are so far away from me now, and I have so little time to visit them." Teyla said wistfully.

"I could schedule you some time off." John suggested, gesturing out into the ocean.

"No, that is unnecessary. I just sometimes wonder what life would've been like had we not met your people, had I not met you." Teyla added with a slight grin.

"Well, life for me without meeting you would've involved sitting around in Antarctica, flying choppers every few days." He moved a bit closer, their arms touching. "It wasn't really all that interesting."

"I will admit that life had a pleasant serenity, yet I do not miss it."

"You don't?" John asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"The choices we both made that day brought us to where we are now." She paused, looking at him. "And while the wraith have awakened, we have also destroyed many of them. That is a victory that will last."

"Yeah." John smiled. They had made a difference, if only a small one, and they'd both found something in each other. He pulled her close, their faces resting ear to ear. "But the one thing I cherish above everything else... is you."

Teyla gazed into his eyes. "Then we are in agreement."

John laughed, wrapping his arms around her. He gently let his had massage her bare lower back, left so by her new tank top she'd recently taken a liking to. She generally kept her back hidden with her hair. Every guy on the base knew about that though.

"Are you wearing that tank top for any particular purpose?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Colonel." Teyla grinned broadly, gazing up at him.

John laughed at the reference to his rank. It wasn't a measure of formality between them, it was a term of endearment, and he'd long learned that it had meant he was special to her. He leaned down just a bit, and captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

Teyla deepened it, hers arms moving from between them to around his neck, drawing herself up and around him. He responded in turned, keeping one hand on her upper back, running the other along her lower back.

With a gentle push she had him pressed against the wall. John loved this side of Teyla, the side only he saw and only when they were alone. He dropped both his hands to her waste, drawing hers shirt up a bit so her could run his hand under it, making her give him a feral grin, then she did likewise with his shirt.

John mentally locked the door while he could still think. These moments were his light in the darkness. All that existed were both of them, nobody else did. Though he figured they might want to move to one of their quarters before going too far.

He sighed as Teyla began working the belt buckle, okay, maybe not. At least the door was locked and it wasn't exactly visible. It was good enough. He captured her lips in another fiery kiss, pouring his passion into her.

XXX

"I've gotta get a double." John said, two hours later from the bottom on his bed. The remnants of their clothes where scattered throughout his room.

"Would that not be suspicious?" Teyla said, her hair dangling on the sides of his face, tickling his ear.

"No, Elizabeth knows what I'm up to, she keeps giving me these strange looks." John laughed. "Besides, someone's bound to notice. I saw Zelenka handing McKay chocolate the other day."

"They would not be doing so on account of us?"

John ran his hands to her lower back again, cause Teyla to inhale sharply. "Its possible they were, but who knows." He smiled.

"Indeed, Doctor McKay and Doctor Zelenka are both very eccentric."

"They could've been better money on when Carson and Cadman..." He trailed off, knowing Teyla caught the meaning.

"When did this happen?"

"I'm guessing last night, cause Carson was looking very happy with himself in the morning and Cadman look tired."

"I hope we do not suffer from the same ailment."

"You never know." John replied, drawing Teyla down to kiss her again. But then again, maybe they would be suffering the same ailment in the morning. He'd take it any day.


End file.
